Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-07-16
those cold. merciless waves dashine over
her. could only wish could lie beside

her.
The Mountain Lion was away on q hunt
| and was to be held captive until he re-
turned. l determined to escape. With
the assistance of friendly Indian sentry /
succeeded In doing SO. secured canoe,
and returned safely to Cottonwood alone.
As soon as my story was known party
was organized, and went up the river in
search OF Diego Dan and Dolores, but re-
turned without having discovered any trace
| OF either, or single Indian. Another
party, which led in person, went out with
| the same result.
Nothing more could be done. My dream
was over; Dolores was dead; Dan was
| dead, or he would have returned ere this.
Heart-sick, returned to my work on the
Lshmdelite.
had been at work on the paper perhaps
two weeks, and was sitting by the Office
window late one afternoon in deep spell
OF sadness when the door was thrown open
and in moment Diego Dan had caught
me in his arms, crying:
@She is here! Dolores, little one. com
here!"
Dan soon explained all. The very nigh,
Dolores and attempted to escape he also
gave his captors the slip for the second
time (having done SO once before and been
recaptured), and started down the river.
During the storm he went ashore until the
wind abated, then resumed his fight.
About sunrise the next morning.
seeing something on q low sandbank
near the waters edge that looked,
at distance, like q human body, he
rowed up to it and found to his great sur
prise that it was Dolores, alive but uncon-
scious. He at once took her into his boat,
and she had partially revived, when the
Indians again came down upon him.
Strange to say, death was not the result of
this last escape. Dolores was soon entirely
Indians to aid him in escaping. This time
they we're successful in reaching the white
settlements.
They had just arrived and were glad to
learn Of my safety, having regarded me as
lost. Now was happy again. My dear
est friend was safe, and the dearest, fair
est woman on earth was to be my wife a
the end of three months. I might have
known it could never be. It was too good
to be true.
Il have great. great secret to tell you.
said Dolores to me one day.
Then she told me that among the ruins
Of the old house on the river bank large
amount of god was buried. We took our
faithful friend Diego Dan into our conf
dence. An indescribable expression passed
over his face as he listened to the story;
but he suggested that we three should visit
the place and secure the treasure, as the
Indians had returned to their homes for
the winter and there would be no danger.
During the sail up the river, however,
Dan was very anxious and watchful, but
no enemy appeared. We secured the gold,
placed it in the boat and were ready to re-
turn, when Dan, who seemed positively un-
nerved and more and more apprehensive
every moment, suggested that Dolores and
I should row slowly down the stream while
he would walk across the strip Of land
which formed the Devils Elbow, and join
us below. It was beautiful, clear night,
almost as light as dav; the splendid scene
ry and calm, unruff1ed river made a most
enchanting scene in the moonlight. We
drifted around the elbow with the current,
turned the prov of our boat shoreward, and
were waiting for Dams signal, when the
stiffness was broken by the sharp report of
rifle on the river bank, then another and
another. A moment later Diego Dan called
to us and we quickly rowed across to where
he was standing on the low, white sand
bank.
Near him a man was lying on the shore,
his face CHASTITY beneath the moon, gasping
in death struggle. walked toward him,
and discovered to my establishment that it
was my guardian, Mr.. Charner.
"Diego Dan, murderer, robber. seducer,"
cried the dying man, Il am going"
Goodbye, my sanity friend" replied
Dan, gaily, as he stepped into the boat to
which had also returned.
mo; you will come with mel" the wound
ed man gasped, suddenly rising to sitting
posture, and firing pistol with deadly aim
and effect toward our loved and trusted
Dan fell heavily upon the bottom of the
boat, his head struck one of the CROSS
pieces violently, and both his eyes rolled
out and ratified upon the boards.
l knew then why his eyes had always
worn that steel-blue tint-they were glass.
Every one knows that we see an object by
simply having its image reflected back upon
the perceptive faculties of the brain. Just
as in camera the image is thrown back
upon the ground glass. That was the Sc
cret of Dams wonderful long range vision;
his eyes were compound magnifers. As in |
a camera, SO in his eyes the image had al |
ways been inverted, which caused him to |
shoot Indians in the legs at distance.
I knelt beside Dan. who whispered:
@Put 'em back. am dying"
I knew he referred to the eyes, and |
quickly replaced them, when most won
lerful and awful thing occurred. In my
haste and excitement had placed his eyes
n backward.
He writhed in agony, but deaths cold
land was pressing hard upon him as my
Dolores and I, gazing upon those steel
blue orbs, read the dying mans Utmost
reflected from within, clearly and
plainly.
Now we knew that Mr.. Cleaners dying
words Of moment ago were true. Now
We knew that Diego Dams soul was stained
nth crimes innumerable. Immigrants
vhom he had guided across the plains into
he power of the Coyote, trappers and
hunters he had ambushed, friends who had
lept with him, women who had loved him
their cruel murders were all reflected as
hey passed in the dying mans memory
cross those steel blue lenses. Then came
be old haunted house and the murder Of
dolores parents. Now we knew that the